A New Destiny
by bionic4ever
Summary: AND1: Jaime has just been released from the hospital after her 'death' and amnesia. She and Steve must work together to retrieve stolen missile detonation modules.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Destiny**

Chapter One - OSI Director's Office-11am

"Steve! You made record time getting here, Pal. Thank you." Oscar turned from the window to greet him, puffing heavily on a cigar. Steve saw at least three more stubs in the ashtray on Oscar's desk. Definitely not a good sign.

"When you had a team trek all the way out to my fishing cabin to call me back from the vacation you forced me to take, I figured I'd better haul it here fast," Steve said wryly. "So what's going on?"

"Let's wait for the other member of your team -"

"You're hedging, Oscar." Steve helped himself to one of Oscar's cigars, figuring he'd probably need it. "What don't you wanna tell me?"

"Steve, this one's not going to be easy, especially for you."

"You're not making me break in another rookie, are you?"

"Not exactly," Oscar answered, looking at his watch.

"Then what, exactly, are you so worried about telling me?"

"Steve, this is a big one, and extremely urgent. I'll give you the specifics as soon as she gets here, and -"

"_She_," Steve interrupted. "Well, there's one clue."

"You were each selected for your unique...abilities, and you'll need to combine those abilities to complete this one successfully." Steve raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. Oscar continued, very hesitantly. "You'll be teaming up with Jaime."

Steve's heart leapt and then sank. "When did she get out of the hospital?"

"This morning."

"Oscar, the last time she saw me, she had headaches so painful they literally blinded her!"

"Rudy determined that to be a physical problem - it wasn't you, after all. She's had surgery to correct it, and he says it shouldn't be a problem anymore."

"Well, that's real reassuring."

"She's been through all our training programs - with flying colors, by the way - and even went on several shorter assignments for me, going back to the hospital when they were over. Physically, she's 100 percent, and she definitely knows the ropes."

"Physically, I'm not worried about. Is she emotionally ready for a big mission - with me? She doesn't even know yet that we were engaged..."

"I can't make you any guarantees, Pal. But Rudy tells me she's ready, and she's been chomping at the bit for weeks now to get back to real life, and real work, so -"

They were interrupted by the intercom. "Jaime's here, Sir. She's on her way up."

"Alright," Oscar answered. "Thank you. You can send her right in." He turned to Steve. "Are you ready, Pal?" Steve shrugged. "I wouldn't do this to you if it wasn't absolutely -"

"Urgent, I know. I'm not mad, Oscar, just worried."

"They sat in silence for a few moments and then, with 2 quick raps on the door, Jaime literally bounced into the room.

"Morning, Oscar!" she chirped happily. "Oh - hi, Steve," she said with a neutral but very pleasant smile.

"Hi, Jaime." Steve tried to look her over without being obvious. She was definitely full of energy, good color, seemed healthy again. And - Steve thought to himself - 100 percent gorgeous. "How are you?" he asked her. "Oscar says you just got out of the hospital."

"It's great to be a free woman again," she said, sitting in the chair next to Steve's. "Being a patient was getting really old! Hey, are we working together?"

"Yes, you are," Oscar told her. He got right down to business. "You'll be infiltrating a group that calls themselves 'New Destiny'. How you do that will be up to the two of you after you assess the situation. This group has managed to obtain six of our most hazardous missile detonation modules."

"Nuclear?" Jaime asked. Steve glanced at her, impressed.

"Yes. Nuclear." Oscar confirmed. "And I highly doubt they're planning to destroy these modules for the sake of world peace."

"And we're going to get them back?" Steve asked.

Oscar nodded. "Hopefully, yes. Their complex has been designed to look like some sort of medical facilty, and the modulators are in six safes in various parts of the complex. The safes are protected by invisible lasers powerful enough to cut you in half."

"Ok," Steve said. "So I find the lasers, de-activate them or guide Jaime through them -"

"And I crack the safes," Jaime finished for him.

"Right," Oscar told him. "A chopper will pick you up from the roof in 15 minutes to take you to a private plane. Should be about a six-hour flight. You'll be staying in one of our safe houses near the facility tonight, and you'll begin in the morning. I want both of you to be aware that New Destiny is extremely well-armed and they will not be giving up these modules voluntarily. Good luck."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two** - OSI Safe House-10:30pm

Jaime sat in a big, comfy recliner with her feet up, smiling like a canary-fed tabby, waiting for Steve to get back. He'd gone to take a quick look at New Destiny's complex from the outside, and told her to relax and settle in while he was gone. She had done as he'd asked, sort of. Almost. Well, at least she was doing it now.

"I'm back," Steve called out. He was happy to see her with her feet up. He'd have to rely on her tomorrow - and vice-versa - so he needed her at 100 percent. "How'd it look?" she asked, trying not to grin.

"Tight. At least two armed guards at each entrance, a dozen or so extra for good measure." Steve said grimly. "We'll go back tomorrow for a closer look and figure it out then."

"It'd sure help if we had blueprints or a map or something, huh?""Well, yeah, but we don't have that luxury."

"Do I ever have a present for you!" Jaime got up and handed him several large, rolled-up sheets of paper. "Blueprints," she told him, quite proud of herself. "_and_ a map of the entire complex, including the locations of the safes."

"Jaime...where...how?" He was stunned. "You didn't break into that complex by yourself, did you?"

"Not the whole complex; just the main guard shack, right inside the gate. I figured they'd have to have some kind of map there, and - jackpot! Oh, and I made sure to rest afterward, like you wanted me to."

"How'd you know which shack was the main one?"

She smiled. "People tell me I have excellent hearing."

Steve smiled back at her, resisting the urge to chew her out for taking such a huge risk. This woman was not his fiancee or even his girlfriend. She was now his partner, an OSI operative like he was, and - it appeared - a damn good one.

New Destiny Complex-next day-7am

Jaime and Steve had gone over the map together the night before and found there were 8 safes, not 6. Steve wished his eye could see through the safe doors and tell him which ones held the modules. They'd worked out a plan and were now getting an early start.

Steve waited out of sight while Jaime played a very effective version of damsel-in-distress, limping heavily up to the main gate. She rang the buzzer, but didn't answer when the guard's voice came over the speaker. After a few moments, she rang it again.

Two extremely annoyed guards emerged from the shack, their guns drawn. Their faces softened and they pocketed their guns when they saw a beautiful blonde standing at the gate with big old crocodile tears streaming down her face. Jaime went into the schtick she'd worked out with Steve: Wasn't this a medical building? Ok, medical research, but surely there was someone...medical...who could look at her poor li'l old twisted ankle?

Steve, meanwhile, had jumped a fence to the left of the guard shack and headed toward an area which, according to the map, had only one set of two guards. With the right approach, he'd come up directly behind them...

A few minutes later, Steve and Jaime met at the agreed-upon spot, about a half mile from the complex. Jaime's ankle had been very neatly bandaged by two very amused and thoroughly charmed guards, and Steve carried two guard uniforms. He handed one to Jaime.

"Nice work," they told each other in almost perfect unison, before ducking into two separate wooded areas to change clothes. They re-grouped to go over their plans one more time, then headed back toward the complex.

New Destiny Complex - 8am

The first two modules were fairly easy, once they'd entered the main building. The lasers were stationary, a huge break for them. Steve would step over or under each one and then guide Jaime through. She cracked the safes amazingly quickly, and they stowed the first two modules - well-hidden - on the roof before going back for the third.

They'd successfully navigated the third set of lasers and Jaime was reaching for the dial on the safe when she stopped cold and turned to Steve, looking worried for the first time all day.

"Um...Steve? I don't think detonation modules are supposed to tick..."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"No," Steve confirmed. "They definitely do **not** tick. It's either a booby trap that would've gone off when you opened that safe -"

"Or a bomb on a timer that started counting down when I opened the first safe," Jaime concluded. Steve was more than impressed. Oscar had been right; she really did know the ropes.

"In either case," Steve said, "Our window of time just got a lot smaller." Their eyes met briefly to acknowledge the new sense of danger, and Steve was sure he saw something else there, as well. Could it be...recognition? They didn't have time to explore it now. "How good are your legs?"

Jaime shrugged. "Where you can jump, I can jump."

"I'm gonna jump all four lasers at once," Steve told her. "Once I'm across, you jump the same distance at exactly the same angle."

"Gotcha."

"Steve sized up the difference once more and made the jump.He turned around and pointed to the spot Jaime needed to hit. A couple of seconds later she was across and looked up at him, still calm and rock-steady. "Onward!" she exclaimed. "Let's go get number three."

They retrieved the next three modules smoothly, with near-perfect teamwork. Jaime looked at Steve questioningly after the fifth module. They were so in sync that she had to ask: "Have we worked together before?"

"Let's get number six and get the hell outta here," Steve told her. "That'll give us tonight and most of tomorrow to talk before the plane comes. Whatever you need or want to talk about. Ok?"

"Deal."

The last two safes were in the same one-room outbuilding. Once they'd alluded the guards and were standing just inside the door, their reations were once again in perfect unison. "Oh, damnit!"

The entire room was filled with lasers. These appeared to be different, stronger, and Jaime could see them too. There would be no jumping over or ducking under this time. They'd need a solid plan to get to the correct safe on the first try, preferably with both of them still in one piece.

Steve looked at Jaime, who was deep in thought. "Can you hear anything? From either safe?"

"Sh-h-h-h..." After a few seconds of silence, she grew very serious, very quickly. "The one on the left is ticking, and it's ticking **fast**. We're almost out of time." She thought quickly. "Steve - I'm gonna make this door a little bigger. How's your aim?"

"Good as it gets."

"Ok. As soon as I get the hole big enough, you get the dumpster - the bigger one, by the fence - and roll it to the hole. When I tell you, when we're about to have fireworks, roll the dumpster as close as you can get it to the front of the right-hand safe. We'll take cover to the right of the building. The force of the explosion from the left will hopefully throw the dumpster into the safe, and the dumpster the safe and it's contents should fly our way when the building comes down."

"Lady, you are _good_!"

"We don't know that yet, but it's the only thing we have time to try. Let's go!"

She removed a good-sized portion of the wall then turned. "Steve! We're outta time. Aim and push from there, and run!"

Steve zeroed in with the precision only a bionic eye could provide, applied what he hoped was the right amount of force and pushed. At almost the same instant the pair dove for cover, the entire building blew into pieces that flew in every direction. When the dust settled, seven or eight guards in various states of unconciousness lay amid the rubble. Steve realized the two of them had ended up more than side by side; he was lying with one arm and most of his chest protectively covering Jaime's body. He rolled off of her and she raised her head to look at him, grinning broadly. In her hand...the sixth detonation module.

"Guess I AM good," she said lightly. She looked into his eyes and once again felt a recognition, a familiarity she just couldn't place. "And so are you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four - OSI Safe House-3pm

At Steve's insistence, Jaime relaxed in the easy chair with her feet up while he lit a fire, then disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a mug of coffee for himself and a cup of tea for Jaime.

"Thanks," she said, her eyes smiling into his. "But you don't have to wait on me, you know."

"Maybe I like waiting on you," he told her, holding the gaze just a beat too long before settling into the over-stuffed chair a few feet away from her. "Besides, all the excitement may have made it seem longer, but you've only been out of the hospital a little over 24 hours. And you were nothing short of amazing today."

"We were amazing," she corrected. "Neither one of us could've done this alone."

"You're right."

"But we were so in sync. Didn't even have to think about it; we were...a team. And it just felt liike we'd worked that way before. Did we?"

"Yes."

"A lot?"

"Just once, actually. After you got your bionics and right before you got sick." Steve was trying to choose his words carefully, afraid of causing her any kind of pain. "Didn't go nearly as well as today, though."

"Tell me - please?"

Steve told her all about Joseph Rona, the $20 plate stolen from the Denver Mint and how her bionics malfunctioned as they were retrieving the plate, causing them to have to literally run for their lives. Jaime listened silently, seemingly enthralled, absorbing every detail like a sponge.

She insisted on cooking dinner afterward. (Was she remembering he wasn't the greatest cook?) It had been a long day, so they retired to their bedrooms early for some much-needed rest.

The next morning, Steve got up to find Jaime's bedroom door open, coffee ready and waiting, but - no Jaime. He found her sitting on the front porch, looking out into the woods. "Whatcha doing?" he asked, not letting her see he'd been worried.

"Just thinking...it's so peaceful here." Steve sat down beside her and waited for Jaime to let him know where the conversation - and her thoughts - were going. He didn't have to wait long. "We knew each other before, didn't we?"

"Before what?" he asked, treading very lightly.

"Before the OSI, before we were bionic...just...before." Jaime looked at Steve and felt - something. An unspoken connection she couldn't quite place.

"Yes. We did." Steve wanted so badly to pull her close, kiss her and tell her everything, but he didn't dare. Jaime's hazel eyes delved deeply into Steve's blue ones as she searched her mind for something just beyond her reach. Steve's heart ached for her as her eyes filled with tears of frustration. He knew Rudy had said it was best to let her remember things on her own, spontaneously, but her tears melted his resolve. Finally, he reached over and took her in his arms for a gentle and (he hoped) comforting hug.

His touch gave Jaime an odd sense of deja vu, and she felt her body move, automatically, closer to his. "We knew each other for a long time..." she whispered.

"Yes." Steve brushed away her tears and smiled at her. "Almost ourwhole lives. You were five and I was eight when we met." He wished he knew what they'd already told her. Did she know about her parents, her childhood?

"So...we grew up together."

"Yup."

"Until my parents died, right? I must've moved away after that..."

"No, actually, you didn't. My parents took you in, became your guardians, so you could finish your senior year at the same school. I was out of the house by then, though." Steve stopped, not wanting to bombard her with too much at once. "What do Rudy and Michael say about all this?"

"Michael's gone. Rudy had him transferred to Siberia - or the outer reaches of Colorado, anyway."

"I'm sorry; I know you two were pretty close."

"Sort of, for awhile..." her voice drifted off. "You don't want to hear about this."

"Jaime, we're friends. At least, I hope we are. I'll help you any way I can. I'm a good listener, two waterproof shoulders; no waiting." Jaime smiled, a little. "So what happened?"

"It was ok, it was good, but something - I don't know what - kept me from letting go and getting completely involved. Maybe 'cause he was my doctor, but I think it was something else, too. Like...there's someone I left behind?"

"It'll come back to you, when the time is right."

"That's what they tell me; it's just so frustrating."

"Well, any time you need someone to talk to, I hope you know you can call me. I really do want to help."

Jaime leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek, and they sat quietly together for a long while, each absorbed in their own thoughts but happy to have someone next to them just the same.

That night, as the plane flew them back to Washington, they each had the same strong feeling: it was also carrying them onward, to their own new destinies.

END


End file.
